Hideaki Hamada

January 11, 2016

You may have come across his photos on the pages of Kinfolk or perhaps you’re one of his 189k followers on Instagram, but if you haven’t met Hideaki Hamada, please let us introduce you to one our friends and favorite photographers!

As we were concepting our May catalog last spring, we knew that the only way we could pull off a new editorial style, would be with fresh photography. As personal fans of Hideaki, we reached out to see if he would be up for the job. We were thrilled to get the green light and the Skype sessions commenced.

Hideaki was born on the island of Awaji in Hyogo, Japan. Today he resides in Osaka. While his photography will lead you to believe he’s been behind a lens professionally for decades, it’s only been since 2012 that he considered this to be a full time job.

Hundreds of thousands of people follow his Instagram account (including all of us here), waiting for the next light, airy and perfectly framed photo. But the photos Hideaki takes of his sons, Haru and Mina, are what truly captured our hearts.

When we finally met him in person in Jaipur, we were delighted to discover that Hideaki makes friends as easily as he takes pictures; charming children and elderly village patriarchs alike. His gorgeous photos, full of light and magic, speak of the wonder with which he sees the world.

Tea: What do you try to convey with your photographs?Hideaki Hamada: Smells, touches, sounds, temperature and time. Maybe it’s an invisible something. Through my photography, I’d like to share common memories and experiences that everyone should have with as many people as I can.T: What made you fall in love with photography?HH: People, things, landscapes that I can’t help loving. And of course my family.T: We can’t help but notice (and admire) the way you photograph your own little ones. Are they starting to have interest in photography and travel like their father?HH: One day my elder son Haru said to me he wants to be a photographer in the future. Actually he has over 3,000 followers on Instagram. So, he’s already a famous photographer! Sometimes he directs poses and compositions like me when he takes a photo. Like father, like son. However they usually play video games at home the whole day. It seems to be too early for them to travel around the world.T: What felt significant to photograph while in India… What caught your eye?HH: India has many energies. Cars keep ringing horns, cows lying down in the middle of a road, stray dogs, slow walking elephants, people walking across the road… It’s chaos! I love people who have innocent eyes and women wear incredibly beautiful colored sarees in India. I especially cannot forget the old man and his mother who are mostrespected in the village we visited outside of Jaipur.

photo courtesy of hideaki hamada

T: What’s your advice for someone who wants to get into a photography career that involves travel?HH: Don’t hesitate to go into the world you don’t know. Photography doesn’t need words. However it’s important to be a traveler rather than a photographer. Photography shows how you met and talked with people or something.

His gorgeous photos, full of light and magic, speak of the wonder with which he sees the world. We couldn’t have found a better partner to share our story of Georgia and Clement’s adventures in India. As we leave Argentina and Bolivia, and travel through our newest destination, we couldn’t be more excited to have Hideaki on board to once again to share this adventure with us!